Career Days Expose Westfield Prep Students to New Possibilities, Sharpen Interview Skills
Students at Westfield Preparatory High School and Canton Preparatory High School had the opportunity to get a glimpse of life after school and connect with their communities at each school’s Career Day. Here are highlights from each event:
Westfield Preparatory High School
Student and Family Liaison Turai Finley helped organize Westfield Prep’s Career Fair, where about 15 vendors across a variety of industries were on site to speak with students. Finley said she gauged student interest and tried to secure professionals in their desired fields.
Scholars learned more about careers such as: real estate agent, doula, fashion designer, actor, chef, and more. On top of meeting with these professionals, students participated in a career readiness workshop where they engaged in mock interviews and learned best practices for landing a job.
“A lot of teenagers might not know what to say yet,” Finley said. “So, we practiced them selling themselves. This helps them be more marketable. We wanted to give them some practice so the first time they interview won’t be the first time they’ve experienced it.”
With this focus on building skills, Westfield Prep scholars walked away with more than information about future careers. The experience helped students sharpen their social skills and exposed them to the importance of the finer details of interviewing such as proper attire and how to shake hands in the interview setting.
The event also provided scholars flexibility and independence to discover new careers and skills. This approach allowed students to tailor their experience to what they needed. Finley said it was important for students to participate and learn rather than listen to a presentation.
“It’s not one size fits all,” Finley said. “We all have to kind of find our niche. I’m silly and people think I’m funny, so I might crack a joke if I was in an interview. That might work for me, but I wouldn’t suggest people make jokes. It’s about finding your own style of how you interact socially.”
Canton Preparatory High School
Special Education Teacher Lorie Long said it was the third year she has hosted a Career Day at Canton Prep. Long said she initially started the event to connect her students with different career paths they might not have known about.
Scholars were able to speak with a variety of local professionals such as a mechanic, carpenter, caterer, military veteran, and an entrepreneur, among others. Long said the wide variety of careers students learned about allowed for more exposure.
“I think it’s really important students realize that there are so many more options out there and you’re not limited,” Long said, adding that students enjoyed the day.
Long said she wants to expand the event next year to ensure the school’s youngest students can also tap into these resources.
“I really want to get them involved, too,” Long said. “I think it’ll help them get engaged in school if they understand what the end product can help them with and get them to be more mindful of how important school is in your choices moving forward.”